This invention relates generally to slide-out rooms for use with vehicles, and more particularly, to a slide-out room which travels between an extended and retracted position without sliding on the finished floor surface of the interior of the vehicle.
The width of recreational vehicles and manufactured housing units is limited by highway regulations. However, occupants of those structures commonly desire a greater amount of interior living space. Accordingly, it is common to provide recreational vehicles with at least one slide-out room which can be retracted into the main living area when the vehicle is being driven, and extended from the main living quarters to provide additional living space when the vehicle is parked. Such slide-out rooms may then be retracted during travel, thereby allowing the vehicle to be in compliance with maximum allowable width regulations on public roadways.
Slide-out rooms are typically extended and retracted through an opening in one of the side walls of the structure defining the main living area. The slide-out room includes a back wall, which is optimally in registry with the opening, when the slide-out room is in the fully retracted position within the main living quarters. It is desirable for the back wall of the room to register with the opening in the side wall of the vehicle so as to ensure that the opening is completely closed, and decals and other ornamental features of the vehicle side wall are aligned with similar features on the back wall of the slide-out room.
Conventional slide-out rooms are retracted into and extended out of the vehicle by a drive mechanism attached adjacent to a lower edge of the room. The room itself slides between the extended and retracted positions on top of, and in direct contact with, the finished surface of the floor of the vehicle. Over time, wear marks or other damage to the finished floor surface may occur. Vehicles having slide-out rooms are generally expensive and considered luxury items by purchasers. Accordingly, any unsightly signs of damage or wear to the vehicle are highly undesirable.
The objects of the invention have been accomplished by providing a mobile living quarters comprising a frame, a structure supported by the frame defining a main room including side walls, a ceiling and a floor, with one of the sidewalls defining an opening therethrough. A slide-out room is mounted for movement through the opening between a retracted position retracted into the main room and an extended position extended from the main room to provide an auxiliary living area. The slide-out room includes a back wall, sidewalls, a ceiling and a floor, and a lifting mechanism for lifting the slide-out room floor off of the main room floor during the retraction and extension of the slide-out room.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the lifting mechanism is comprised of rails extending longitudinally along a lower portion of the slide-out room floor. The lifting mechanism further comprises an engagement member positioned adjacent the opening for cooperation with the longitudinally extending rails. The engagement members are vertically adjustable to adjust the vertical lift of the slide-out room floor off of the main room floor and are defined by rollers. A lower edge of the opening includes an inclined ramp, upon which a leading edge of the slide-out room rests when in the fully extended position. The ramp includes an aperture therethrough, and the rollers project upwardly through the aperture.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the mobile living quarters further comprises at least one engagement member positioned adjacent the opening for cooperation with the longitudinally extending rails. The engagement member is defined as a wear bar extending transversely across a lower edge of the opening. The lifting mechanism is mounted to a bottom of the slide-out room floor. A lower edge of the opening includes an inclined ramp, upon which a leading edge of the slide-out room rests when in the fully retracted position. The ramp includes an aperture therethrough, and at least a portion of the lifter mechanism projects upwardly through the aperture. The lifting mechanism is comprised of a roller movable through the aperture, and cooperable with the leading edge of the slide-out room floor to raise the floor. The roller is movable under the influence of fluid pressure, and a fluid actuated cylinder moves the rollers.
Preferably, the roller is cooperable with the slide-out room floor, whereby when the slide-out room floor contacts the roller, the rotation of the roller, moves the roller vertically. The roller is interconnected to a linkage which causes the vertical movement. The roller includes at least one gear mounted thereto, whereby the at least one gear meshes with a mating pinion gear, and the mating pinion gear is attached to a jack screw, and the roller rotation causes the jack screw to also rotate lifting the roller from a base to which it mounts. The roller is mounted on a threaded shaft, and the lifting mechanism further comprises at least one threaded collar cooperable with the threaded shaft, and the threaded collar moves laterally upon rotation of the roller, and the linkage includes a pivot arm movable by the threaded collar, whereby the pivot arm raises the roller. The threaded shaft extends from opposite ends of the roller and has threaded portions with opposite hand threads. The roller is mounted to a carrier member, which is movable relative to a base member, and the pivot arm pivots relative to the base member, the pivot arm being operatively attached to the carrier member to raise the carrier member and roller.
Preferably, the roller is mounted to a rotatable lever, and the lever is rotated in response to the inward movement of the room, to a position increasing the vertical component of the roller, whereby the slide-out room floor is raised by the roller. The roller is rotated in response to engagement of the slide-out room floor with the roller. The lifting mechanism further comprises a contoured ramp positioned intermediate the roller, when the slide-out room is in the fully extended position, and the roller is caused to roll up the contoured ramp upon retraction of the slide-out room. The lever is movable to an over center position, whereby the slide-out room floor is maintained at a vertical spacing above the main room floor. The lever is preferably rotated in response to engagement by an actuator attached to the slide-out room.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the lifting mechanism is further profiled to lower the slide-out room, when in the fully extended position, such that the main room floor and slide-out room floor are substantially flush. A lower edge of the opening includes an inclined ramp, to guide a leading edge of the slide-out room upon retraction. A roller mechanism is held in position adjacent the ramp, and has first and second vertical positions, when the roller mechanism is raised to the second vertical position, the slide-out floor rolls on the roller mechanism at a vertical height above the main room floor, and when the slide-out room moves to the fully extended position, and the roller mechanism is lowered to the first position, the slide-out room floor moves to the substantially flush position.
In another embodiment of the invention, a lifting mechanism for a mobile living quarters comprises a frame, a structure supported by the frame defining a main room including side walls, a ceiling and a floor, where one of the sidewalls defines an opening for slidably receiving a slide-out room mounted for movement through the opening between a retracted position retracted into the main room and an extended position extended from the main room to provide an auxiliary living area. The lifting mechanism comprises a lever mechanism, pivotable relative to the main room, and a roller mechanism, having a first position and a second position, where the second position has a vertical component higher than the first position, the lever mechanism being responsive to the movement of the slide-out room, causing the roller mechanism to move to the second position, whereby the slide-out room may retract with the slide-out room floor rolling against the roller mechanism.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the ramp includes an aperture therethrough, and at least a portion of the lifter mechanism projects upwardly through the aperture. The roller is mounted to the lever mechanism, and the lever mechanism is pivoted in response to the inward movement of the room, to move the roller mechanism to the second position, whereby the slide-out room floor is raised by the roller. The lever mechanism is pivoted in response to engagement of the slide-out room floor with the roller mechanism. The lifting mechanism further comprises a contoured ramp positioned intermediate the roller mechanism and the opening, when the slide-out room is in the fully extended position, and the roller is caused to roll up the contoured ramp upon retraction of the slide-out room. The lever is movable to an over center position, whereby the slide-out room floor is maintained at the second position above the main room floor. The lever mechanism is comprised of a pair of levers and the roller mechanism is mounted between the pair of levers by way of an axle. The lever mechanism is spring loaded to position the roller mechanism in the first position. The lever mechanism includes end plates having receiving areas for receiving the axle when in the over center position.
Preferably, the lever is rotated in response to engagement by an actuator attached to the slide-out room. The lever mechanism is pivot mounted relative to the main room, and has a lever arm extending outwardly, with a free end pad for contacting an actuating surface of the slide-out room, and the lever is spring loaded upwardly, at a position intermediate the pivot position and the free end pad, whereby when the slide-out room is retracted initially, the weight of the slide-out room is transferred off of the free end pad, and the lever is spring loaded upwardly moving the roller mechanism and the slide-out room vertically upwardly. The roller mechanism is attached to the lever mechanism, and rolls independently of the lever mechanism.